


When Stephanie Knew

by NotClooLess



Series: A+S Middleton Remix [2]
Category: Good Witch (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:21:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21602878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotClooLess/pseuds/NotClooLess
Summary: Running a restaurant, rehearsing for a musical, and trying to sort out complicated feelings are all on Stephanie Borden's To Do list.
Relationships: Stephanie Borden/Abigail Pershing
Series: A+S Middleton Remix [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1524197
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17





	When Stephanie Knew

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place DURING my fic "When Abigail Knew". 
> 
> I suggest reading that one first and then this one! 
> 
> I don't own these characters but they are very fun to write.

Stephanie was tired. Not the kind of tired you are when you just don't sleep well or forget and have caffeine too close to bed. She was the kind of tired that was in her bones. Rehearsals for Waitress had been going late into the night and she'd been genuinely enjoying them for the most part. She'd picked up most of the music fairly easily and she was almost off book. The hard thing was all of the time she'd missed at the beginning of the rehearsal process. She'd been staying late every night with Martha and the music director to get caught up and those extra hours were paying off however she was paying with less sleep and more stress.  
  
This particular morning , when Stephanie's alarm went off she felt as though she had just closed her eyes for bed. While it was still dark outside, she also knew she had no time to waste if she was going to get to the Bistro in time to get all that she needed to get done that day. Plus, she remembered as she went about her morning routine, she realized she was the one opening that day. She scrambled to pull on her jeans and blazer and fix her hair and makeup enough to look presentable. Breakfast would have to wait.

  
The last few weeks had been the busiest in recent memory. If Stephanie wasn’t at the Bistro, she was at rehearsal or asleep in bed. Every bit of her life was consumed with becoming the best last minute leading lady for Middleton Community Theater she could be and oh yeah, also running her restaurant. Truth be told, lately she was sure she wouldn’t be able to keep all of her plates spinning even with the help of her staff and amazing friends who volunteered to pitch in. Cassie, Grace, and Abigail had each volunteered for closing shifts at the Bistro and even Nick had picked up a few shifts as a delivery runner. Stephanie was blessed with a wonderful support system. She pondered all of this as she drove to work and while she entered the dark Bistro, still blinking the sleep out of her eyes as she went about her opening routine. Just as Stephanie was about to open the doors for the day, the business' phone rang.

“Hello, Bistro Café!” she chirped as cheerily as she could muster.” In a matter of seconds her cheer was turned into stress as the Taft twins called in for their shifts that day.“No no I understand,” Stephanie sighed. “It’s not your fault your mother broke her leg and is in the hospital.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and wondered who she could get to come in to cover. “Yes, yes you still have your jobs. Thanks for calling and hope she’s up and around soon. Ok, goodbye”Stephanie hung up the phone and immediately scanned down the list of employees she kept behind the counter as she began making phone calls.

Fifteen minutes later she’d managed to only get one of the shifts covered, with most of her employees not on the schedule being out of town.Stephanie resigned herself to filling the slot herself. Mentally going over what a double shift would look like on not enough sleep. “Man I could use some coffee,” she said out loud to nobody in particular.

__

As the day went on, the Bistro got business and busier. Stephanie barely had time to have a quick bite of a sandwich at lunch let alone check her phone. It wasn't until she looked up and saw Abigail sitting at the counter that she remembered she'd forgotten to look at the text the other woman had sent her a few hours ago, never mind about texting her back.

She gestured to her friend that she would be right back and finished delivering a tray of waters for a table of guests on the patio. When she returned to the counter, she saw Abigail had ordered two iced coffees and was chatting with her lead server Amy. As she blonde approached, Amy grabbed a To Go order and went to deliver it to a waiting costumer while Abigail pointed at the stool next to her and scooted one of the iced coffees in the shorter woman's direction.

"I don't really have the time to-" Stephanie began. 

"No way, I just asked Amy if you could take a break and she said she would take your tables. Just for 10 minutes." Abigail insisted, she took a sip of her own coffee while maintaining eye contact with the other woman. "You need to recharge and besides I'd like company while I wait for my salad."

"Fine. You win." Stephanie sighed as she took a drink of her coffee, closing her eyes and enjoying the flavor. "This is exactly how I like it, thank you" Abigail smiled and glanced around the busy restaurant. "What's the deal here anyway, isn't it time for your closers to be coming in soon?"  
  
"Well yes usually it would be but I'm down at least two for tonight so I'm going to have to stay myself and just be late to rehearsal. Speaking of, I haven't told Martha yet! It's been so busy I forgot!" Stephanie reached into her blazer pocket for her cell phone. "Oh whoops, sorry I didn't realize you'd texted me again..."  
  
"Not to worry, I should have taken the hint when you hadn't responded to my original message. You usually text right back unless something is up. Which might be why I decide to get my salad in person today." the florist confessed as Amy returned with her salad, boxed to go. "I also wouldn't worry about Martha, but you should still text her." With that, Abigail got up with her food and coffee and prepared to head back to her shop. "It's all going to be fine, I promise."  
  
Stephanie looked at her with a skeptical expression but didn't question the Merriwick's prediction. "Hope you're right Abigail," as she began to type out her text to Martha. "thanks for the break." Abigail simply flashed a brilliant smile to the blonde which may or may not have made Stephanie's heart stutter a bit, before leaving. Stephanie, choosing to ignore the weird feeling that just overtook her for the hundredth time, was just about to hit send when a text came through from Martha herself.  
  
 **Martha: Rehearsal canceled for this evening lovely cast. We are doing technical work at the theater. Study at home and see you tomorrow!**  
  
Stephanie couldn't believe her luck. Finally something had gone her way today. Well that and the very nice coffee break she'd just had, but seeing as how thinking about that brought up a lot of unanswered questions, she'd just have to deal with that later when she wasn't running around like a chicken with her head cut off.  
  
__

As the dinner rush approached, things got even busier, Stephanie was thankful she didn't have to miss rehearsal to be at work because there was no way her staff could have been left alone tonight. Now _three_ people down thanks to Norbert calling in sick, and hit with the busiest day they'd had in awhile it was a struggle just to keep their heads above water. Then at the worst possible time, Amy who had been her rock solid helper all day got a splitting migraine and had to leave early. The hits just kept coming.   
  
Just as Stephanie was looking though her book again to see if she could call anyone at all in for an emergency shift, Abigail walked back though the door, carrying a small bag. “A little bird told me you’re short staffed tonight,” she said. "Still true?" 

“Yes I am,” Stephanie frowned but answered honestly. “I've got another call in and I’m dead on my feet.”

“That’s all I needed to hear,” Abigail responded. “Give me a second to change.” she held up the duffel bag and headed to the back before Stephanie could process what what happening.

“You’re-wait what?” Stephanie sputtered as she followed Abigail into the break room.

“Well I can’t exactly help you serve wearing what I wore to the shop today” Abigail said matter of factly. “I have some jeans and better shoes in here.”

“Oh Abigail I can’t ask you to do this, you’ve had a long day yourself,” Stephanie started before she was silenced by the taller woman's hand on her shoulder. “It’s a good thing you didn’t ask then,” Abigail retorted firmly but kindly, releasing her shoulder and heading off to change. 

The pair worked into the night, polishing off the rest of the dinner rush. Abigail convinced Nick and Grace to come up and run To Go orders for an hour and they closed the place on time, even sending the new hostess home a bit early.

Most of the extra work was managed and Stephanie let Abigail know she’d done enough and could head home before she retreated to her office to work on the books for the day. She'd been inside for about twenty minutes before she realized she'd forgotten to count the till for the day and add it to her totals. Stephanie had figured she’d just arrive early the next morning to set up for the breakfast rush but as she was headed out to the dining room to grab the till from the register, she caught a glimpse of the brunette already rolling extra silverware and placing glasses in their places on the tables. Even as the last of her usual staff clocked out for the night and the ‘Closed’ sign hung in the door, Abigail stayed, finishing the tables and moving on to sweeping the floor. Something that, if Stephanie was being honest, she’d never done even when she was an actual Bistro employee. The blonde was beyond touched. Why would she do all of this?

Wanting to analyze what was happening but also wanting to get work over ASAP, Stephanie grabbed the til as quietly as she could and returned to her office. Once back inside she noticed another text from Martha had come through. 

**Martha: Cast I need your bios tonight! Thank your family and friends and tell us about yourself for the program. Keep it concise please! Email is best. I will be waiting!**

In all of the chaos that was her current life, Stephanie had forgotten she needed to write a bio. She figured if she didn't do it right then she'd forget so she whipped out her notes app in her phone and typed. Satisfied after her third attempt, she sent it over to Martha, a bit of a thrill in her chest as she did. She was so engrossed in what she was doing that she didn't notice her office door opening and a figure entering the room. 

"So what do you say we finish up and then share some of that insanely good chocolate cake?" Abigail asked, sneaking up from behind Stephanie and causing the blonde to jump and let out a shriek. "Oh sorry! I didn't mean to scare you," Abigail added with slight concern, reaching out and touching Stephanie's arm across her desk "Are you ok?"  
  
"Oh yes, yes I'm fine. I'm actually great. I will actually be out in a minute and I will get that cake." She sputtered, standing up and setting her phone down, gathering up the papers on her desk.   
  
"Sure thing, I'm off to mop the floor." and as Abigail smiled at her and went to the supplies closet to do another task that she definitely never did when she actually worked at the Bistro, Stephanie was sure. She was absolutely sure that she, Stephanie Borden had the biggest crush on Abigail Pershing and it was bigger than any crush she'd ever had before. More than that, she realized as she looked at the bio she'd just written and sent to Martha, she'd been feeling this way for a very long time and she'd just not known what to call it. Stephanie was aware of the odds that the brunette would ever feel the same way but she was finding herself with more and more hope and less and less reason to fight her heart these days. She was also keenly aware that "crush" was probably putting it mildly, but that was about ten steps ahead of where they were right now and she wasn't going to get ahead of herself.

__

  
"Cake and herbal tea," Stephanie announced as she returned to the main dining room. The floors were still slightly wet so she carefully stepped over them, not wanting to repeat the time she hurt her back in the snowstorm. As if she read her mind Abigail remarked "we don't want to spend another night with you in the hospital, glad you're walking carefully on my clean floor."  
  
"Martha would actually kill me," Stephanie said decidedly as she sat beside Abigail on the couch and set the tray of food down. I'm just ready to sit down now and sleep in tomorrow."  
  
"Well you deserve it I suppose, said Abigail jokingly, taking a big bite of the cake.  
  
"Thank you so much for this. All of today really. " Stephanie earnestly said. "I would have been in such trouble if it wasn't for you,"  
  
“You really would have,” the florist said playfully. “Anyway, I wouldn’t have done it for just anyone but I guess...you’re a really good friend. So that’s what we do right?” she held her mug up to cheers.  
  
"Yes friends, you are right" Stephanie said a tad absentmindedly.

"Stephanie?" Abigail stilled her mug of tea on the way to her mouth. "Are sure you're alright?" The way in which she asked, gently, genuinely, and the ways Abigail's eyes softened and searched her own made Stephanie's heart seize. She was crazy screwed.   
  
"Yes," Stephanie snapped back to their conversation. "Oh yeah, yep, I'm just tired. Today was just exhausting you know?" She raised her mug and mustered some enthusiasm. "Cheers to making a great team?"  
  
"I will always cheers to that," Abigail flashed the same smile from before, the one that seemed to reach down into Stephanie's soul, as they clinked their tea together.  
  
Well, thought the blonde, this was going to get very interesting.   
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Look for a continuation of this story in the form of a multi chapter fic very soon! 
> 
> Thank you for reading and for your patience while I write this story.


End file.
